Press Releases

PDF Gala Honors Local Philanthropists, Raises Over $725,000

New York, NY - May 14 2009

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF) honored outstanding figures in the Parkinson’s community, including local philanthropists Evan and Sandra Stern and Family, at its annual gala Bal du Printemps at New York City’s Pierre Hotel. The event raised over $725,000 for Parkinson’s research.

Over 300 guests gathered for the evening, which was also themed a ‘Celebration of Movement,’ to highlight the benefits of dance for people living with Parkinson’s disease.

The Stern family received the 2009 Page and William Black Humanitarian Award in recognition of their long-standing support of PDF. Sandra Stern joined PDF’s Board of Directors more than a decade ago. Her experience as a caring educator and estates advisor, along with her husband Evan’s gifts as a business strategist and counselor, have enriched PDF’s programs of research, education and public advocacy. In addition, they and their children – Mark, Russell, Doug, Kyle, and Anna – have been generous contributors to fundraising campaigns and consistent champions of PDF’s mission to find the cause(s) of and a cure for Parkinson’s.

The ‘Celebration of Movement,’ theme was underscored with remarks by David Leventhal, Founding Teacher of the Mark Morris Group’s Dance for Parkinson’s Program. Now viewed as a model for the Parkinson’s community, the program explores the power of dance to alleviate the movement-related symptoms of Parkinson’s and to help people to live better with it. Mr. Leventhal noted that members of the group, some of whom were in attendance at Bal du Printemps, have also found a close-knit community in the program.

About Parkinson’s DiseaseParkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder that affects nearly one million people in the US. Although promising research is being conducted, there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s.

About the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF)The Parkinson's Disease Foundation (PDF) is a leading national presence in Parkinson's disease research, education and public advocacy. We are working for the nearly one million people in the US living with Parkinson’s by funding promising scientific research and supporting people with Parkinson’s, their families and caregivers through education programs and support services. Since its founding in 1957, PDF has funded over $75 million worth of scientific research in Parkinson’s disease, supporting the work of leading scientists throughout the world.